February 1 2017:
Great news this afternoon!! The Nevada Museum of Art will soon be selling Biggest Little Photographer too! YAY!! For some reason, I have an image of Snoopy dancing around in my mind … HA!
February 3 2017:
What a great day for a trip to the post office. Two “D iz for Different” books – One to Idaho and one to Washington. Plus, one Biggest Little Photographer to New Orleans …. just in time for Mardi Gras!
**THROWBACK POST**
February 10 2016:
The way events line up is so interesting. Yesterday morning I had coffee with Jules Holland and we were talking about living an unfiltered life and experiencing the rawness of life. Later in the day, I wrote an article to be submitted to an online website. An article influenced by our conversation.
I wrote it in the format of a letter …. A letter addressed to a meltdown. Dear Meltdown … Later last night Lillian had a huge meltdown. In the midst of it, I remembered what I had just written and remained calm. Had I not had coffee with Jules, talked about what we talked about, wrote the article when I wrote it, I may have handled the meltdown completely differently …. and not so calmly!! Love, love, love … xoxo
February 4 2017:
Team TLC Movie Night – Thomas’ choice: “Back to the Future”
Thomas says, “I loved it! It was really good and I want to see the sequels! Liked the music a lot and liked the plot! Can’t describe it. So good!”
Lillian says, “Good, liked the scenery, the music was okay, awesome, worth watching, great, and amazing.”
I say, “Loved watching this with Thomas and Lillian! Great testament to how one persons encouraging words can have a positive unknown effect.” xoxo
Liberty’s Voice
Emma Lazarus’ poem, “The New Colossus” became forever connected with the Statue of Liberty. Another wonderful true story of one who followed her heart, no matter what.
She overcame the barriers of her day and became one of the leading poets of the nineteenth century. She helped impoverished and poor immigrants of Eastern Europe.
She was inspired by the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson. She ended up meeting him and he became a friend and mentor.
We all completely enjoyed this one too!
The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
**THROWBACK POST**
February 9 2016:
“I think, Lillian worries, Camilla just is.” – Thomas wisdom shared last night as we were reading in my bed before going to sleep …
He had a rough day yesterday. He made a choice at school that caused an un-lovely consequence.
On the ride home I let him know he could not use his digital time as he overused it in the morning. By the time we got home he was in much distress. He had a full blown meltdown when he got home and I knew we needed to go for a walk.
I shared how unhealthy it is to not let oneself feel and experience anger and other negative emotions. That we must find that place where we can let ourself feel it physically, being with it, and without hooking into the story of the negative emotion; which can cause us to be harsh with others.
Nature is a wonderful guide during times like these, times when we resist feeling the rawness of life. About an hour after our walk Thomas had settled into acceptance and we had a great night. May you take advantage of the gift of nature when needed. xoxo
January 31 2017:
Thomas and Camilla January 2017 Date Day … First! Feeding everyone some yummy goodness!
Thomas and Camilla January 2017 Date Day …. First! Feeding these beauties and a walk around the lake. Part 1
Thomas and Camilla January 2017 Date Day …. Next – Hitting tennis balls and a couple of walks around the track. Part 2
Thomas and Camilla January 2017 Date Day …. Next – Hitting tennis balls and a couple of walks around the track at Virginia Foothills Park. Part 3
Thomas and Camilla January 2017 Date Day …. Last stop – Eating our dessert cookie with a view. Thomas and I have been coming here since he was a wee little one. Part 4
**THROWBACK POST**
February 6 2014:
The past few weeks I’ve been reading to Thomas a little gem of a book I came across back in the late 1990’s. It’s called “I Dare You!” written in 1953. Last week we read the chapter titled, “I Dare You to Think Creatively”.
The author shared a few stories of people who were able to interpret the usual in an unusual way and invented amazing and useful things. Like Doctor Ernest Sachs who discovered a way to operate on inoperable brain tumors and the person who changed the telephone to a device that could be heard across a continent.
Thomas stopped me and said he has so many ideas to invent things but he doesn’t know how to make them. I told him that he doesn’t need to focus on the how. Suggested he write all of his ideas in a notebook or a file on the computer.
Every once in a while, go back and read through them. Put his attention on them and then make it his intent to invent whatever it is. Then, the “how” will come to him as well as any other people needed for the how. Told him if he keeps jotting his ideas down in a year or two or five he’ll have one heck of a book of ideas!
It’s a quick read if you wanna check it out. You could read it in one sitting. We are reading a few pages every night.
January 29 2017:
Extra movie night … “The Shift” – Third or fourth time and still as meaningful as the first. The theme of 2017 for me is “The Shift” so it seemed fitting to watch again. This movie is one big, gigantic, meaningful, love bubble … xoxoxo
“Thoroughly unprepared, we take the step into the afternoon of life. Worse still, we take this step with the false presupposition that our truths and our ideals will serve us as hitherto. But we cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning, for what was great in the morning will be little at evening and what in the morning was true, at evening will have become a lie.” ― C.G. Jung
**THROWBACK POST**
February 6 2013:
One day not long ago, Thomas asked, “What if someone throws away the anonymous HappY Message we left for them?”
I told him we can’t control what people do with kindness after we share it with them and we don’t want to let that stop us from spreading happYness and kindness.
Keep on spreading it as you feel moved …
